A device communicating with other devices over a network usually uses network parameters such as a sub-net mask, a gateway, a hostname, a user list, a network address, etc. An Internet Protocol (IP) address is used to identify a network device using the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Typically, an IP address includes a 32-bit number written as four numbers separated by periods and ranging from 0 to 255.
Currently, to configure an IP address for a device, a user, through the device's terminal, runs a set of configuring commands. As the technology evolves and to save equipment space, many devices no longer include a terminal. In those cases, the user must physically connect cables between the terminal and the device to get access to the device and thus perform the configuration. In various situations, connecting a terminal to the configured device is not easy because the device may be at a location difficult to reach, in an equipment stack bundled with other equipment, etc. Further, a terminal must have an input channel such as a keyboard for the user to enter the commands.
In one approach, once a device is configured with an IP address, the device is accessible over a network, and a user uses a machine connecting over the network to the device to manually configure the device with other parameters. The user commonly types each configuration value of the parameters and sends them over the network to be configured. Such manual configuration can be tedious and inconvenient.
Based on the foregoing, it is clearly desirable that mechanisms be provided to solve the above deficiencies.